London Fashion Week 2023: No trench coats for Burberry? Creative director Daniel Lee took the luxury brand in a bold new colourful direction, with Naomi Campbell and Jun Ji-hyun in the front row

Feb 21 , 2023

A model presents a creation for British fashion house Burberry during the autumn/winter 2023 fashion show collection on the fourth day of London Fashion Week, in London, on February 20. Photo: AFP

When the British fashion label unveiled its first runway show since new chief creative officer Daniel Lee’s appointment, there wasn’t a beige trench coat in sight

Baz Luhrmann, Georgia May Jagger and more stars looked on as models showed off the brand’s signature check pattern in rich hues, punk-inspired looks, and playful duck prints

British luxury brand Burberry unveiled its first catwalk show under new creative director Daniel Lee at London Fashion Week on Monday, February 20 – and there wasn’t a beige trench coat in sight.

Model Iris Law presents a creation at the Burberry catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

The heritage brand is best known for its elegant, functional trench coats invented during World War I.

Chief creative officer of Burberry Daniel Lee poses following the Burberry catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

But Lee, who joined Burberry in September, took the fashion house in a brand-new direction with a debut collection featuring faux fur and feathers, slogan T-shirts and playful duck prints.

Burberry’s autumn/winter 2023 collection, shown on the fourth day of the London Fashion Week, in London, on Monday, marked a new direction for the brand masterminded by new chief creative officer, Daniel Lee. Photo: AFP

The 37-year-old British designer was credited with revitalising Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta with hugely popular accessories like shoes and handbags during his tenure there, and many in the fashion industry were keen to know if he could work the same magic at Burberry.

Burberry’s catwalk show presented during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, on Monday, featured the maison’s signature check pattern, but in bold hues. Photo: Reuters

Burberry CEO Jonathan Akeroyd said last year that he was banking on Lee’s flair to significantly grow the brand’s accessories sales and “dial up on Britishness in a modern way”.

A Burberry creation combines a duck print with a feathery coat at its catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, on Monday. Photo: Reuters